Warren G

Biography

Warren G (born Warren Griffin III, November 10, 1970), is an American West Coast rapper and hip hop producer.

In 1990, Warren G formed the group 213 (in reference to Los Angeles' area code) with Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg, known as Snoop Doggy Dog at the time. They were in search of a record deal and in 1992 Warren G introduced the group to his stepbrother Dr. Dre, who was impressed. However, only Snoop Dogg and eventually Nate Dogg were signed to Dre and Suge Knight's record label, Death Row Records. Warren G was left without a record deal and thus pursued a solo career. Although Death Row Records did not sign him, he did make some contributions to Dr. Dre's album “The Chronic,” released 1992.

In 1993, Warren G produced the track "Indo Smoke" which featured himself, Nate Dogg, and Mista Grimm. He also rapped on Snoop Dogg's debut album “Doggystyle.”

After seeing various new acts getting signed by Death Row, and realizing he was not going to be signed by the label, Warren G started to look for other avenues to launch his musical career. He scored a deal in 1993 with Violator Records, which had a distribution deal with Polygram through Def Jam Records. Warren G's debut album “Regulate... G Funk Era” was released in 1994 on Violator/Def Jam. By August 1995 the album had sold four million copies worldwide, with three million of those sold in the U.S. (certified 3x platinum). The album contained the hit lead single "Regulate" featuring Nate Dogg which samples Michael McDonald's classic hit, "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near) ." The single "Regulate" (U.S. #2) was certified platinum in America. The album's second single, "This D.J." (U.S. #9, U.K. #12), was certified gold in the U.S. and also gave him his first U.K. hit. The third and final single, "Do You See" (U.S. #42) became a moderate hit on the U.S. Hot 100.

Warren G's second album entitled “Take a Look Over Your Shoulder (Reality)” was released in 1997. It featured two singles, the hit "I Shot the Sheriff" (US #20, UK#2), a gold single in the U.S., and "Smokin' Me Out" (US #35, UK#14). The album would be certified gold in America.

Warren G had signed to the independent label Restless Records by the release of his third album, 1999’s “I Want It All (album).” The album offered a jazz-rock fusion style and featured a host of guests including Mack 10, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Eve. The first single, "I Want It All" (U.S. #23), sampled the song "I Like It" by DeBarge. Second single "Game Don't Wait" failed to crack the U.S. Hot 100, and peaked at #58 on the U.S. R&B Chart. The album was certified gold in the U.S.

For his fourth album, Warren G returned to major label distribution as Universal Records released his “The Return of the Regulator” in 2001. The album had one single released, "Lookin' at You," which did not crack the Hot 100 and peaked at #72 on the R&B singles chart. By 2004, Warren G, Snoop Dogg, and Nate Dogg had reunited their group 213 and released the album “The Hard Way” on TVT Records, which contained the single "Groupie Luv." The song did not break into the Hot 100, but it peaked at #48 on the R&B Chart. The album, however, peaked at #4 on the U.S. Top 200 Albums chart, and was certified gold.

Warren G released a new album in October 2005, titled “In the Mid-Nite Hour.” In 2006, he produced the theme song for Ice Cube's TV show, “Black. White.”

“The G-Files,” released independently on TTL Records in September 2009, failed to reach the Billboard 200 Albums chart. The album features guest performances from Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Cassie Davis and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.